Jenny
by DreamOn1996
Summary: Niles is having a bad day, starting with the news of having to work on Christmas, and continuing with car trouble at WalMart. But he is ultimately saved by Jenny, a girl who no one can quite figure out...
1. Chapter 1

A/N: This idea popped into my head earlier, and I had to start writing. I pretty much making it up as I go, so if you guys have any ideas, lemme know. Posts will come once or twice a day, cause I'm going to summer camp this Sunday, and won't have access to the internet for three weeks. Three weeks without fanfiction! The horror!

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the Nanny characters, except for Jenny.

Chapter One - Meeting Jenny

The frigid December air stung Niles' cheeks as he made his way out of the grocery store, arms laden with brown paper bags. He set the bags on top of the car as he searched for the keys to the town car.

He couldn't find them.

"I swear to God..." he mumbled, finally finding them in one of his jacket's many pockets. He loaded the bags into the car, and hopped into the driver's seat, furiously rubbing his frozen hands together in a desperate attempt to warm them.

He stuck the key in the ignition and was gone. Well, if you could consider being "gone" halfway out of the grocery store parking lot. The engine spluttered, and died. Niles put his forehead to the steering wheel and sighed loudly.

"Fuck my life." he muttered, not wanting to leave the car's quickly escaping heat and venture back into the slick, snowy, frozen iceland that was the WalMart parking lot. And he had already been having a bad day. Niles had waken that morning with a terrible headache, and warm refrigerator. Apparently someone had gotten up for a midnight snack the night before, and didn't close the fridge door all the way, causing the temperature to rise. Nothing had spoiled, thank God, but breakfast was a bit late, and _she_ had shown up. _She_ had been there to witness Maxwell's apologies to Niles about his cancellation of the family vacation to the Hampton's for the holidays, which meant Niles had to work on Christmas. _Again_.

And now, he found himself standing outside the car in worst weather, working under the hood, trying to figure out what the bloody matter was. _Max is going to kill me,_ he thought, wiping his greasy hands on his jeans. After about fifteen minutes of fiddling with things, he finally gave up and was about to fish out the cell phone and call a tow truck when...

"Hey, Mister! Car trouble?" a voice behind him asked. He whipped around, nearly losing his footing on the slippery ground.

Regaining his balance, he looked at the figure in front of him. A teenaged girl, maybe about fifteen stood before him, dressed in only a pair of jeans, high tops, and a royal blue hoodie. Her brown hair was pulled half-up, and her bangs fell in her eyes. There was something vaguely familiar about her.

"Uhhhh, yeah." he answered, not really sure of what else to say.

"Can I have a look?" she asked, peering over his shoulder.

Niles nodded, and followed her back around to the front. The girl looked at the engine for a few minutes, and fiddled with things as Niles had.

"So I just died on ya? Won't start back up?" she asked, a slight country twang in her voice.

"Yeah. I just...died." he answered, utterly confused now.

"Well, it looks like you're battery is out. I'm sure they got on up in WalMart over there in the car center to replace it. I can help you change it if ya want." the girl said, brushing her hair out of her eyes, revealing deep blue pools and long lashes.

"Sure. Thank you for your help." Niles answered, still a little shocked that a fourteen year old girl knew more about cars than he did. "Now, I have a question. Who exactly are you?" he smirked now.

"Oh. Sorry. I'm Jenny. And you?" she asked, extending a hand.

"I'm Niles." he replied, shaking her hand. "You have a pretty good grip there." he added as they trudged back up through the cold.

"That's what I get for having only guy friends." she answered, shoving her hands into her pockets.

"Okay, now start the car." Jenny instructed, and Niles did so. The town car suddenly came to life, and warm air quickly filled the car again.

Jenny smiled to herself, and closed the hood, wiping her greasy hands onto her jeans. Niles rolled down the window, and beckoned her over.

"Thank you. Thank you so much. Uhm, I have some cash on me-"

"Oh, well you don't have to pay me." she said quickly, even though she would gladly accept money from anyone else. But she liked this man.

"Oh come on, I insist!" he said, handing his only twenty to her. "You could at least by a coat with that. Aren't you freezing?"

Jenny shifted on high-top clad feet.

"I'm not that cold. And I have a coat at home. But thanks anyway." she answered, digging in her pocket. "Here's my number if you ever get stuck again. Gimme a call. I can fix a lot of stuff."

Niles took the piece of notebook paper she handed him, and thanked her.

"I can assure that I will, Miss Jenny." he replied, pocketing the paper.

The two exchanged goodbyes, and Jenny ran off, into the cold. Niles hoped she got home alright, and it didn't even cross his mind to ask her if she needed a ride home. He quickly shook the thought from his head and made his way back to the mansion.

"Niles! Hellooo! Earth to Rubber Maid!"

Niles shook his head to clear his mind, and focused on the voice calling to him.

"What?" he asked a confused looking CC, who was waving her hand in front of his face.

"Uh, you've been cleaning the same spot for five minutes, Dust Mop." she told him pointedly, "And they say _I'm_ crazy."

Niles hastily moved to another spot in the kitchen, busying himself with another task.

"What, no retort? I just totally set you up, Merry Maid. Why aren't you doing anything?" CC asked from her spot across the kitchen.

"Isn't that what you tell you're dates after they see you in the bedroom?" he smirked. _I'm back._

She scowled, and walked toward the door.

"Can it, Niles. Now, tell Maxwell that I have to stop by the theater for a bit to pick up a file. I'll be back for dinner."

"Shall I leave it in a bowl by the door like normal?"

She shot him a look that could kill before storming out.

Niles was dusting in the office not twenty minutes later, when Gracie flew in.

"Daddy! You might want to call an ambulance or 's a girl outside with a nasty gash on her leg, and she's limping really badly."

"Well, where is she? What did she look like?" Maxwell demanded, picking up the phone.

"Brighton's bringing her in." she answered.

Just then, Brighton lumbered in, looking windswept and cold. "I put her on the couch. She said her name's Jenny."

A/N: Bum bum bum! Haha. Leave me a review telling me what you think. Jenny's story is the next chapter, so if you have any ideas, lemme know! Hope you enjoy the rest of this!


	2. Jenny's Story

A/N: So, here we go with chapter 2! It's Jenny from WalMart, and here's her story! R&R for me! I hope I have time to finish this before i leave on sunday, but i promise to finish it before we all get too old...lol

Niles patched up Jenny's leg, and while the cut was minor, she had still lost a lot of blood, making her a bit pale and weak. After the, he explained to the curious Sheffield's why he was on a first name basis with a girl off the street.

"So you're a butler then," she said, smirking. "You never told me that."

"Yeah..." he replied, taking a seat next to her on the couch.

Fran perched on the arm of the couch, and gave Jenny a once over.

"I'm Fran Fine. The nanny." she said, nodding her head. "So, ya fixed a car, huh? How did ya know what to do? I mean, it must take a genius to figure out what all those wires do. Ya know, I had a cousin -"

"Miss Fine!" Max said a little harshly, "Don't go interrogating the poor girl while she's in recovery! She's probably in no state to explain the anatomy of a car..."

"Oh no Mr..." Jenny trailed off, looking up at the uptight British man.

"Sheffield." Maxwell filled in for her, "And that's Margaret, Brighton, and Grace, by the way." he pointed to his children. Jenny smiled at each of them.

"It's fine, Mr. Sheffield. I'm actually feeling a lot better now. But anyway, Fran, I uh...took an interest in cars a few years ago, and learned quite a bit about them from going to NASCAR races and such. Well, I didn't actually _go_ to them...but that's not the point," she stammered, "Anyway, I helped my friend fix his, and after that people have been asking for small favors and such ever since." she finished, glancing at the friendly faces around the room. "It's a nice place ya got here by the way, Mr. Sheffield." she added.

Maxwell smiled, and patted her shoulder.

"Thank you Jenny."

"So, what's you're surname, then?" Brighton asked, a little envious about her knowledge about something _he_ should be good at. But he couldn't dislike her all the same. She was kind of pretty.

"Oh, uh, it's Bennington." she said a little quietly, propping herself up on the couch pillow.

Many eyes widened, but no one uttered a word. And then, as if on cue, CC waltzed in, holding a thick file.

"Maxwell, I got the - who's this?" she asked, pointing to Jenny.

"Thank you Miss Babcock." Maxwell said, taking the file from her and quickly retreating to his office.

Realizing that no one would introduce her, Jenny spoke up,

"I'm Jenny Bennington. I got hurt outside, and they were all just taking care of me." she told the blond woman.

CC scanned her, a little shocked that she was a Bennington.

"Wait a second...Sheffield, Babcock? Aren't ya'll the Broadway people?" she asked, realization hitting her like a ton of bricks.

"Yeah." CC said as an afterthought, following Maxwell's path up to the office.

"Well, I'm going to go start dinner then." Niles excused himself. "Miss Bennington, you are welcome to stay if you'd like. I could get the limo to take you home later."

"Oh, uh, no thanks Niles. I don't need a limo. I can just walk." she stammered just as she had done before. "Thank you though."

"It's no trouble, Miss Bennington. Are you sure though? It's got to be freezing out there. I would know."

"It's fine Niles." she glanced at the Sheffield kids and Fran who were still hanging around the sofa.

"Okay, then." he turned, and was almost at the kitchen door when he heard her again.

"Oh Niles? It's Jenny. Just Jenny."

Niles winked at her, and left.

As soon as Niles had left, Jenny sat up.

"Okay, so spill it girlie. What's got Max and Miss Babcock so uptight about the Benningtons?" Fran asked nasally.

"You're from Queens, right?" Jenny asked, recognizing the voice.

"Yeah. So dish."

The children crowded closer, if that was even possible. Jenny took a deep breath.

"Okay, here it goes. Lemme just say this first. I'm adopted. I'm not even supposed to know, but I found out anyway. So I'm technically not even a "Bennington". But the Bennington family got rich a long time ago over in England, and came over here and lived in Louisiana for a while. They were the snooty, uptight type. A lot like the Miss Babcock lady from what I can make of her. Anyway, as more and more of them came along, they made their way farther and farther up north. There's a bunch of them up here now, and they've been doing a whole bunch with Broadway plays. That's why I recognized the whole Sheffield-Babcock Productions thing. Apparently, my "parents" are getting ready to give a whole bunch of money to either that Webber guy or ya'll for some reason. But most people don't believe me when I say I'm a Bennington, because number one, I'm not stuck up, preppy, and wear the most gawd-awful clothes you've ever seen. Plus, I've got blue eyes. Brown eyes are like, they're trademark thing. Don't ask." she added, seeing Brighton's smirk, "Well anyway, "mom" hates me, mostly because I want to be a NASCAR driver and do the whole car thing, because "it's not ladylike". The last time she said that, I told her that I knew she's slept with tons of different guys, and that I knew I was adopted. I don't speak to her when I don't have to, and I really hate my ties with them. That's why I didn't want the limo; I can't take all that fancy nonsense. But this place is different. It's more...home-y." she finished with a smile.

The Sheffield kids looked at her with a mix of admiration and wonder.

"Wow. And I thought not having a mom was bad." Maggie said quietly, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "She passed away a while back." she added, seeing Jenny's curious look.

"What about you're adoptive father?" Gracie asked.

"He left." Jenny dropped flatly.

"Wow." Fran said, "Well, honey, even though we just met, ya know that you can come ova any time ya want. Ya know, if ya just wanna get away from her." she hugged her. "I think we'll be great friends. Niles mentioned earlier that you only hang with the guys."

"My mother forces me to go to terrible girls-only academy. All of the people there are exactly what my mother wants me to be, so I hang with the guys that work at the bowling alley." she said quietly, flexing her leg a bit. "She no longer cares where I go and what time I go home. She thinks that I'm out shopping with people from school. It doesn't occur to her that ignored listened to her rant about the un-ladylikeness of cars and go hang out with bowling-alley people until all hours."

"That sucks." Brighton said pointedly.

"Yeah. If you ever want to, you can come hang with my friends and I at the movies and stuff. In fact, you can spend the night with us if you want." Maggie suggested. "As long as your mom doesn't skin you alive, that is. I mean, it is Christmas break."

"That's a great idea Mags." Fran said, smiling, "I'm sure Maxwell wouldn't mind. I can get Niles to get the guest room all set up for ya."

Jenny smirked.

"I still think it's funny that he's a butler. You never would be able to tell normally."

"I know. He wouldn't leave though." said Fran.

"Why?"

"Miss Babcock." grinned Fran, "watching the two of them go at can be more entertaining than watching Mr. Sheffield -"

"Okay, Fran." Grace interjected, "The point is, they can't stand each other. You should watch sometime. And bring popcorn."

Jenny chuckled. "I'll make sure of it."

A/N: Yay Jenny! Chapter 3 up soon! Review for me! It makes me happy!


	3. Brownies

Throughout the next couple of weeks, Jenny showed up at the mansion regularly, sometimes spending the night. Her stays became longer and longer as it got closer to the holidays, mostly because her mother continually threw party after party. Jenny didn't like those kinds of parties.

A guest room was set up just for her, and there she kept a few odds and ends along with a couple changes of clothes. She liked that room, and it was right down the hall from Maggie and Brighton's, so late-night escapades for ice cream were easier.

But Jenny wasn't the only one lingering at the Sheffield's. CC worked later and later every night, and Niles found her fast asleep on the green loveseat on countless occasions. Not that he minded, and Maxwell didn't care.

One night shortly before Christmas Eve, Jenny entered the mansion through the kitchen door as normal. She always liked to hang out with Niles and Fran in the kitchen, and sometimes liked to help Niles make dessert for dinner that night. He was really quite kind to her, and they bonded well. He treated her like the other Sheffield children, unlike Maxwell, who pampered her senseless, thinking that her mother would hear about the "oh-so-wonderful" treatment her daughter was getting, and give Sheffield-Babcock Productions the large sum of money instead of Andrew Lloyd Webber. Boy was he wrong.

CC tried to avoid her surprisingly enough. She really liked the girl, which was unusual in itself, but was afraid of seeming like the mean, cold hearted bitch that everyone else judged her as. Jenny also reminded CC of her younger self. A lot. But she was lucky. Jenny had the courage to stand up to her horrid mother and do what she wanted at a younger age, unlike CC, who had been stuck with her own until after college.

Jenny was in the kitchen mixing brownie batter when CC blew in, and plopped down at the table.

"Gimme some coffee Dustbuster." she demanded, and Jenny stopped what she was doing. She had seen the two bicker before, but not up close and personal. This was going to be good.

"You have four legs. Get it yourself." Niles spat, and slid a mug to her.

Jenny nudged his arm and grinned, pouring the batter into a pan to bake. CC scowled, and watched him take the mug from her anyway, and fill it up, adding salt instead of sugar.

Jenny walked around the front of the table where CC was sitting, stirring her own cup of coffee, and made to sit when CC took a long swig of hers. Tasting the bitterness, she spit it out, spewing salty coffee all over Jenny.

Niles laughed for a few seconds, and laughed even more when he saw CC's reaction. Her face was full of hatred and disgust, mixed with worry. It was quite funny. He locked eyes with her for a split second, and her blue orbs were icy and murderous. Niles let out another chuckle, and grabbed some paper towels.

Jenny didn't miss this silent exchange between the two, and accepted the paper towels from Niles, and surprisingly, CC offered to help.

After mopping up the coffee, CC hastily excused herself, not looking where she was going.

"Miss Babcock -" Jenny started, but it was too late.

The socialite tripped over the table leg, and with a loud BANG, she found herself sprawled on the floor. Jenny rushed to her aid, and Niles made a show of running in slow motion to help her. Jenny giggled, and CC glared at him and stuck out her hand expectantly.

"Help me up Merry Maid." she snapped.

"Oh, of course Miss Babcock! It is my job to clean messes up from the floor, you know."

Jenny laughed loudly, and helped CC up. Niles observed the pair. The blue eyes, the straight nose, the curvy figure...

"What are you staring at?" CC asked harshly, dusting off her jacket.

"Oh, nothing...You two have the same eyes." he stuttered.

Jenny grinned as she passed him, and whispered, "Glad to know I look like and ice princess, lover boy."

Niles gasped, and turned beet red as CC left.

"Lover boy?" he asked as she took the pan of brownies out of the oven.

"Oh come on! It's soooo obvious! I've only been here a couple of weeks, and I see something between the two of you. It's in the way you look at each other. It's in your eyes." she plucked a brownie off the tray.

"Are you serious? Me and the Bitch of Broadway? How can you...is it really that obvious?"

"Niles, have you ever heard the saying, "opposites attract"?" she asked.

"Uh, yeah. I'm guessing that's the case here, huh?"

"Well, ya guessed right."

"What am I supposed to do?" he sighed.

"Get her something nice for Christmas. I think she asked Max if she could stay here for the holidays. She claimed that she was having her kitchen redone, but I think she's lonely." Jenny said, nudging him on the shoulder.

"How do you know all of that?" he asked in awe.

"Hey, I didn't learn the art of intercom snooping for nothing." she chuckled, giving him a quick hug.

"That's my girl." he laughed with her before she turned to leave.


	4. Jenny's Mom

A/N: Here's chapter four already! Thank you for all who have been reviewing - it means the world to me! I think a chapter or two might follow this today, since I'm leaving tomorrow. I wanted to finish off on a good note! R&R!

The Sheffield house was full of the Christmas spirit, streamers and wreaths hung proudly in each doorway, and a sprig of mistletoe had been stuck to the doorframe of the kitchen door. The mistletoe was Jenny and Gracie's doing.

Jenny helped with the decorating, but tried to withdraw herself from all of the family situations, not wanting to intrude. That is why on the day before Christmas Eve, or Christmas Eve Eve (Ha!), Jenny found herself in the garage of her mother's house, working on their town car. Even though her mother disapproved, she had agreed to let Jenny do whatever repairs needed as long as she didn't have to see it. That was fine with Jenny, and the heat of the air-conditioningless garage was oddly comforting, as the weather was bitterly cold outside.

She was on her back under the car, a pair of overall-covered legs poking out. Her trademark red high-tops now were scuffed up, and she knew Mrs. Bennington would have a fit. Did Jenny care? No.

Their butler, Donovan peeked in the garage, and addressed Jenny, startling her.

"Ow!" she called from under the car, having bumped her head. She slid out from underneath, and sat up, rubbing her head.

"You have a guest, Miss Bennington -"

"JENNY!"

Donovan cleared his throat. "You have a guest Jenny. Shall I bring her in?"

Jenny wiped her greasy hands on her overalls, leaving marks that made Donovan wince.

"Uh, yeah. Who is it?" she asked, sliding under the car again.

"Not sure. She didn't say." he replied, leaving.

A few minutes later, Jenny heard footsteps enter the garage.

"Jenny?" a soft voice called out, echoing off the walls of the garage.

Jenny huffed, and slid back out to face her visitor. "Hey Gracie. What's up?"

Gracie shifted on her feet.

"Oh come on. I know you aren't that much of a girlie-girl. Have a seat." she motioned toward the hood of the car, where she was now perched.

Gracie smiled, and sat next to her.

"I'm sorry to bother you, it's just...I needed to talk. Maggie wasn't home, so you were the only person I thought to talk to. Well, it does concern you, but..."

"What is it?"

"I'm worried Jenny. Really worried." she stuttered.

"What about?" concern clouded Jenny's eyes, and she frowned. "Is someone hurt?"

"It's Miss Babcock. I know she's not really on the best terms with anyone at the moment, but something's really bothering her. She's been spending more and more time at the house, not that I mind. But she's been more distant. Even Niles is worried."

"Wow. It must be bad. But how does this concern me?"

"Well for one, when she does talk, she talks about you. And two, she's been really weird around Niles. She mostly ignores him now." Gracie said, looking up at her new friend. "I know they both are in serious denial-"

"Good girl. I thought I was the only one who saw it." Jenny laughed, but then turned serious again as the girl with surprising smarts for her age continued.

Gracie smiled, but it faltered.

"Did Niles ever tell you about Miss Babcock's history?"

"Uhhh...how far back? 104 B.C.?" she joked again. "Sorry. Niles has rubbed off on me a lot."

"Yeah. He's pretty cool. Anyway, when she was twenty-four I believe, my parents got married. CC had just started working for my dad, but she had known my mom for most of her life. Niles was there too. Anyway, she felt really lonely, kind of like she does now. Her best friend had gotten married, and she was forced to see them every day. So, it made her really upset on the inside, and she started drinking, thinking that nobody would love her the way mom loved dad. So, in short, she was jealous."

"Alright, where ya going with this Gracie?"

"I'm getting there. You have to understand this first. While mom and dad were on their honeymoon, Niles told me that CC went to a bar and got crazy drunk. She got pregnant that night. Niles and mom were the only two that knew, and she went a leave from work shortly she had the baby, and dad thought she needed a vacation anyway."

"Uhm...okay? What does this have to do with anything? And how do you know all of this?"

"It has to do with everything. EVERYTHING. And I've heard stories over the years. Don't doubt me." Gracie retorted as Jenny stood up and picked up a wrench. "How exactly did you hurt yourself that night you came to us?"

Jenny looked taken aback.

"Oh, there's this piece of glass on the sidewalk, and I always trip over loose pieces of concrete when I walk that way. I always pick up the piece and throw it away, but there's always more. That was the first time I've ever hurt myself on it. I think I still have a scar." Jenny absentmindedly tugged on the leg of her overalls.

"That makes sense." Gracie dropped, surprising Jenny. "Well, in a superstitious kind of way. You see, After Miss Babcock had the baby, she got into a car accident, and almost lost the baby. Some druggie rear-ended her. While in the hospital, she decided to give the baby up for adoption, because she wanted the best for it. The baby was transferred to a new mother and father while she was still under intensive care, and she never found out who got it."

"Awww. That sucks. No wonder they call her the Bitch of Broadway."

"Listen, I walked the road where it was reported that the accident happened, and I saw exactly what you saw. There's still shards of glass over on that loose concrete. I have no clue why though. Scientifically, it's impossible." Gracie added.

"Well, fuck science. I gave up on that years ago." Jenny laughed, patting her on the arm. "Now can you please tell me what you're trying to tell me?"

"I'm trying to tell you that I'm almost certain that I've found the baby that belongs to Miss Babcock."

"How did you find that out?"

"Well, I'm still not certain, but it's a 99.9% correct hunch. The baby was born on April 18, 1980."

Jenny dropped the wrench on her foot.

"OW! Shi-Wait! That's my birthday!"

Gracie grinned.

"Then I'm right. I think I've found your mother Jenny."

A/N: Yay! One more chapter left! It'll be a long one - my gift to you! Review for me, and I'll put the next chapter up shortly!


	5. The End

A/N: Here's the last chapter! I had a lot of fun writing this story, and I'm very grateful to the people who've stuck with it! Love you all! I hope I do the ending justice!

"No way. .Way." Jenny exclaimed, clutching her throbbing foot. "Miss Babcock's my mom? Even though it DOES make sense in it's own twisted way, there's no possible way on this PLANET. I mean, I don't even look like her! I've got brown hair!"

"She's originally a brunette. Niles said so. And yeah, you do look alike! That's why I brought this!" Gracie reached into her purse and pulled out a blond wig.

"Where the fu-"

"Fran. I borrowed it from Fran." she said, and seeing Jenny's confused face, she added, "Don't ask."

Jenny nodded, and Gracie tugged the blond wig over her head, tucking the brown tendrils back. "Sweet Jesus that's scary." she dropped, spinning Jenny around to face the car window. Jenny's frame was oddly distorted in the glass, but what she saw surprised her.

"Woooooaahh. I look like a mini-Miss Babcock...okay, I believe you now. But how do we prove it?"

"Where's your birth certificate?" Gracie asked, shoving the wig back in her bag. Seeing Jenny's face fall, she added, "You don't have it, do you?"

Jenny shook her head.

"Wait a minute...if Miss Babcock's my mother then who's my father?"

Gracie shook her head. "Not sure. Like I said, she was drunk that night. Could've been anyone."

"Alrighty then...this simplifies matters A LOT." Jenny retorted sarcastically.

"Would Mrs. Bennington have a copy or something?" Gracie asked.

Jenny's head shot up.

"I think I know where she'd keep it. C'mon!"

The two darted out of the garage, and Gracie followed Jenny through the way too clean house. Up two flights of stairs they went, and then entered what looked like a small sitting room.

"Flip the light switch for me." Jenny told her, and Gracie groped along the wall until she found a switch.

Light flooded the room, and Jenny pushed a stack of books aside, revealing a lockbox.

"I think there's a key in the desk." she said, and Gracie sifted through stacks of papers in a drawer, and tossed a small silver key to Jenny.

"Yes!" Jenny gasped when the key fit. She fiddled with the lock for a moment, and then pulled it open. "Okay. We have to be really careful with these. If they rip, she'll know we've been in here."

Gracie nodded in silent agreement, and helped Jenny sort through the large folder that had been stuffed in there. After a few minutes, Gracie held up an official looking document.

"I think this is it." she whispered, afraid to look down the page for details.

"Let's see, Certificate of Birth: Jennifer Marie Babcock. Hmm...I've never known my middle name. Jennifer Marie. That's gotta nice ring to it." she mused, and scanned the paper. "Chastity Claire Babcock! So that's what CC stands for!"

Gracie giggled, and glanced down.

"You know, Niles' mother's name is Marie. I met her a few years ago...What's wrong Jenny?" she asked, seeing her friend freeze in place.

"Oh my..." Jenny sat in the desk chair, looking a bit flustered.

"What is it?"

"Read it for yourself." Jenny thrust the paper at her.

Gracie turned as white as a sheet.

"I can't believe it. I just can't believe it."

"There is no way. No way..." Jenny shook her head.

"It does make sense though, seeing that he found her and all. I mean, she was drunk at the time." Gracie said diplomatically, fanning Jenny with her hands.

"Yeah, I guess your right. But when you think about it, I've really got the best of the bunch. Niles and Miss Babcock come with their own entertainment." she chuckled, standing up.

"Do you think they know?"

"No. Niles - no, Dad would've said something by now. I just don't know how I'm going to tell them."

"Well, come stay with us at Christmas." Gracie suggested.

"Really? Are you sure?"

"Yeah! Fran will freak! She's already got your presents wrapped."

"Presents? For me? Are you serious?" Jenny said excitedly.

"Yeah. You're part of the family. What did you expect?"

"Well..."

"And I have a feeling you're really going to like it."

Christmas Morning

Maggie, Brighton, Gracie, and Jenny bounded down the stairs Christmas morning, giddy as can be. Even though they were all teens, it didn't stop them from bounding into the rooms of the grown-ups, jumping on the beds to wake them up.

When Niles served a huge breakfast, made by him, Jenny, and the rest of the Sheffield kids, it was gobbled up in a hurry, for they all wanted to see what was in store for them underneath the giant Christmas tree.

"Uhm, Sir..." Niles approached Maxwell. "My parents came into town two nights ago and..."

"You want to see them?"

"Well, yes sir."

"Oh, come on old man! Invite them here! They can have dinner with us! I haven't seen Joseph and Marie in ages!"

Niles flashed his boyish grin, and went to go call his parents.

The children sat under the tree, tearing open their presents. Jenny was surprised at the thoughtfulness of the gifts given to her: from Fran, clothes (of course!) and a curling iron, from Max, free tickets to his next show, and from the Sheffield kids, a small white envelope.

Inside was a card, signed by Niles, Gracie, Maggie, and surprisingly, CC. It said,

"We were thinking of you this Christmas

So here ya go!

To show how much we care for you

Here's something for the road!"

Something heavier slid out of the envelope. A key. A car key.

"You didn't." she looked around at Gracie, Maggie, Niles and CC, who had stayed the night.

Gracie nodded at her, and threw her arms around Jenny. "It's outside."

Jenny got up, and she, Maggie, and Gracie ran outside, and sitting in the garage was a shiny sports car. Jenny squealed, and it could be heard inside.

"Oh my God! !" she hugged each of them in turn, giving and extra big hug to her parents. She was utterly speechless.

"Niles and Gracie thought of the idea, and we all pitched in to help buy it. We came up a little short, so Gracie convinced Miss Babcock to help with the rest." Maggie explained.

"Okay, the ultimate question. How fast does this baby go?"

Niles leaned down and whispered, "200."

Jenny squealed again and flung her arms around Niles' neck.

"This is the best present anyone's ever gotten me!"

"Your quite welcome." he replied. "Quite welcome."

Later that night, a marvelous Brighton stood nervously in the living room holding a small box in his hand. His palms were sweaty, and he could feel himself chickening out. Just then, Jenny came bounding down the stairs, and he motioned to her with his finger. She came over to him, looking a bit confused.

"Hey B. What's up?"

Brighton cleared his throat.

"Uh..Well, you see, I was gonna give you you're present this morning, but I kinda chickened out. So, it's now or never, right? Here ya go. I hope you like it." he said all of that quickly, and turned bright red, handing her the box.

Jenny smirked, and opened the box.

"Oh my - It's beautiful! How did you...?" she marveled at the necklace, which was a golden chain with a small circle on the bottom. Inside the circle was a tiny pearl, standing out against the rest of the necklace. Inside the box also was a bag of the same sort of pearls.

"You see, every time something big happens in your life that you want to remember, you stick one of these on. I already did one for you, because," he leaned in, "I overheard you and Gracie talking about your birthparents. I thought you might like it." he chuckled, very pleased with himself.

"Thank you! This is going to be great!" she hugged him, a little longer than necessary.

"Your welcome." he replied just as the doorbell rang. "I think that's Niles' parents."

"Let's save him the trouble and get the door." she suggested, and the two traipsed across the room and opened the door.

"Brighton! Good to see you, lad!" Joseph called out in his rich accent, and hugged him.

"Hello Brighton! My you've gotten taller!" Marie hugged him as well.

Jenny stood a little ways back, observing her new grandparents. Joseph looked exactly like Niles, except for the eyes. The piercing blue eyes had been all Marie's doing.

"And who is this fine young lady? Brighton, is this your girlfriend?" Joseph walked over to Jenny.

"Oh no." Brighton laughed.

"We're just friends. I actually am a new family friend. I dropped in a few weeks ago. The name's Jenny."

"It's nice to meet you Jenny. I'm Niles' father. He's told me quite a bit about you, actually. Call me Joseph, and this is my wife, Marie."

"Hello, dear." she said, giving her a once-over. She hugged her tightly.

Brighton ushered them into the house, and then went to get Max and Niles.

Marie just looked at Jenny, noticing something different about her. Her smile. It looked rather familiar...But it was impossible. She shook the thought from her head.

After an enormous feast, and more gift exchanges (as Sylvia, Yetta, and Val had shown up for food), Niles finished cleaning up in the kitchen when CC walked in.

"Hey Rubber Maid. Where's Maxwell?"

"Not sure." he mumbled, scrubbing at something on the counter.

CC looked taken aback at his lack of response.

"Uhhh, okay." she said nervously, not wanting to disturb him if something was bothering him, and turned to leave the kitchen.

"Wait! Miss Babcock!" he called, and she whipped around. "Sorry, I was just...thinking. Mr. Sheffield is outside with Jenny - well, everyone's outside with Jenny."

"Why? It's freezing!"

"She and Brighton were having some sort of contest to see who could change a tire on her new car the fastest. I believe Mr. Sheffield is the time keeper."

CC shook her head.

"That girl is something else."

Niles shook his head in agreement, and he noticed that he had followed her, and they now lingered in the doorway connecting the living room to the kitchen.

"Wow, I think this is the longest we've ever gone without insulting each other. It's kinda scaring me Butler Boy." CC leaned against the doorframe.

"Eh, it's Christmas. We'll start again tomorrow. I need a break sometimes, but the shock is still killing me."

"But the question is, will it kill you all the way?" she chuckled, and saw the mistletoe hanging above them. Niles saw it too. "No way."

"But it's tradition!" he said, pretending to be upset.

"Tradition's can be broken. And no one's here to witness it!" she said, but didn't feel her feet carrying her away. She stayed rooted in the spot.

"Oh come on!" Niles complained sarcastically.

"No!"

"Please!" he continued to act devastated that she wouldn't kiss him.

"Niles..."

"Oh just shut up and kiss me." the last few words were muffled, both having grabbed for each other at the same moment.

Even though every fiber in her being told her to pull away, her heart kept her feet glued in place. She threaded her fingers through his hair, and she felt his tongue brush her bottom lip. Before she could stop herself, she moaned softly.

Niles had placed one hand on the small of her back, and the other had cupped her face, his thumb dancing slowly across her cheek. He didn't want it to end and neither did she, but the need for air broke them apart.

"Whoa..." he said to himself, brushing his hair off his forehead. He breathed deeply, trying to register what had just happened.

CC stood in shock, the final brick wall that separated her from him breaking at that moment. She loved him, and if it was mistletoe that forced them together, then so be it.

"Please tell me you felt something." he almost pleaded.

CC nodded, still floating above him on cloud nine. Her cheeks were flushed.

He turned to leave, confused about her reaction despite the agreeing nod, when he felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned around again, and faced her. She placed a quick kiss on his cheek.

"Merry Christmas Butler Boy." she smirked, and he smiled bashfully, fumbling in his coat pocket for something.

"Here's your present, witch. Don't make it wilt." he held out a single red rose.

She took it, marveling in its beauty. She opened her mouth to speak, and then shut it again, realizing she utter a single word.

"Thanks Dust Mop." she finally got out.

"Merry Christmas, my ice queen." he stuttered to find the words. He fought with himself, trying to seem more collected than his head, which was flooded with the image of her, muffling all of his other senses. "I love you." It came out of his mouth before he could stop it.

CC looked stunned, and for a minute, Niles thought she might hit him, but then surprised him by throwing her hands around his neck.

"I love you too, Butler Boy." she whispered in his ear, sending shivers down his spine.

Niles looked like the happiest man on earth at that moment. He hugged her tightly, and kissed her as her had done before, but it was somehow more fierce, more passionate, and he loved every minute of it.

They were soon interrupted by the opening of the kitchen door. They sprang apart, shoulders tense.

"Oh!" Jenny squeaked, obviously realizing what she was intruding on. "I'm sorry! I'll just be going, then." she smiled to herself as she passed in between them.

"Good one." she whispered to Niles as she passed, and she quickly crossed the living room and retreated up the stairs.

"We'll pick this up later." he whispered, and turned to finish cleaning just as Jenny slowly came into the kitchen, having donned a new jacket and a piece of paper. CC made to walk back up to her room, but she felt a hand on her shoulder.

"Uh, do you two mind if I give you your presents now? I kinda wanted to be alone." she said, catching the attention of both the butler and the socialite.

"Sure, kiddo." Niles replied, and sat at the table across from CC.

"You didn't have to get me anything Jenny. I've hardly spoken three words to you-" CC began.

"That doesn't matter." she smirked. "But what matters is this:" she turned to face CC, "Does the date April 18th, 1980 mean anything to you?"

CC thought for a moment, and then came to her conclusion, but froze in shock.

"I thought so." Jenny chuckled to herself.

"That's the day I uh..."

"Had the baby, yes." Niles cut in. "How do you know about that Jenny?"

"Gracie." she replied. "Now MIss Babcock, does the name Jennifer Marie ring a bell?"

CC's head shot up.

"And Niles, what were you doing eight or nine months before that date hmm? Now, with that in mind, take this envelope and open it up. I have no idea of your reaction, so I'll just leave." and she disappeared before either could stop her.

"You don't think-"

"It's not impossible..."

They opened the envelope and their eyes widened.

"JENNY!" they both called, and barged out the door in search for their daughter.

It was almost ten by the time Jenny had finished explaining everything, with assistance from Gracie, of course. Niles and CC sat through the whole thing blank faced, finally being able to process all that was going on.

"Wow. This is almost too Disney Channel for me now." Jenny finally said, taking a deep breath, plopping down on her bed.

The new family had made themselves comfortable in her room, a room that she would be frequenting more and more often.

"Well, the only thing to do now is convince Mrs. Bennington to let us keep you. I'm not sure about the legal stuff, but I'm positive we can work out an arrangement." Niles said with a smile, taking his daughter into his arms.

"Thanks Ni-Dad." she grinned, and turned to her mother. "Mom?"

CC smiled at her warmly, a thing the other two had never seen. "I love you Jenny." she said, before hugging her as well. "You're our miracle baby."

Niles perked up at the word "our". "You mean you'll share her with me?" he asked his loved, smirking.

"Share? Oh come on!" Jenny stood up. "If you want to keep me, you've gotta get married. I mean, only if you want to of course." she added, seeing the looks of embarrassment on her parent's faces.

Niles and CC burst into laughter, and the new happy family hugged once again.

"Now Jenny, I never-" CC started, but Jenny cut in.

"Don't worry about being the best mom in the world. I mean, c'mon! You HAVE to be a least a smidge better than "the other one"." she chuckled, embracing her mother.

"All in good time, my girls." Niles flashed his boyish grin at his girls. "All in good time."

Jenny faced her parents.

"And we've wasted enough." she said, and happiness filled the eyes her mother gave her, and a smirk crossing her face that was the trademark of her father. It truly would be a Christmas to remember.

EPILOGUE

Jenny stood on the podium, the cool November sun beating down on her face. She adjusted her cap backwards on her head, and smiled as several reporters were fended off by officials. A giant trophy was handed to her, and the group of people behind her shouted and cheered as she held it above her head.

After her time in the limelight was over, she jumped off the podium, and hugged her pit crew. A reporter rushed up to her.

"So, Jenny, how does it feel to be the youngest and only female to ever win a NASCAR championship? And being a rookie at that. And what has been the key component to you success?" the person asked her.

Jenny smiled at the camera, and answered, "I'm still speechless. I never thought I'd ever make it here, and once the thought settles in, I'll probably go insane. I mean, I thought being a high school graduate was enough! But I would've never made it this far without all of the people supporting me, and -"

Someone rushed up behind Jenny and handed her a cell phone. The camera caught her looking ecstatic, then worried, then ecstatic all over again.

"What was that about Jenny?" the reporter asked.

"It was my parents." she replied, smirking at the camera, knowing that her mom and dad were watching her on TV.

"So what are you going to do next?"

Jenny waved at the camera, and then looked the reporter square in the eye.

"Well, I'm going to hop on the fastest plane Miami has to offer, and head to Manhattan. I do believe my mother is in labor." she chuckled, and then dashed off.

She found herself in a jet later, still in her racing uniform. She idly rubbed her neck, and felt the necklace still that had hung there since that Christmas two years earlier. Jenny dug in her bag for a second, and picked up the bag of pearls that lay there. Unclasping the necklace from her neck, she observed the new additions to the necklace. Three pearls were fastened to the necklace now. The first one Brighton had given her, the second for Niles' and CC's wedding, and the third for winning her first race earlier that year. She took three more from the bag, and stuck them on. One for winning the championship, and two more representing her new twin brother and sister. Danny and Lauren Brightmore.

The End!

A/N: THe end folks! I hope you liked! I'm sorry the ending was a bit rushed, and I could've done better, but I was rushing to finish this and finish packing as well. Reviews are nice! THanks for reading!


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